Nevada County picayune., 1887-11-09
AT CLOSE QUARTERS With a Rocky Mountain Lion.

With well-hitted horses. a com ple'e outfit, and "Unclen PiersoI as guide, we left Laramie Cjty
 wyoming Territory, on d brigh, July afternoon, for the game park, oi Colorado and Utah. "rimn Fo 'ey, one ot the original propretors of the California Gulch Leadville) ana, consequently, now possess Ing untold wealth, had come from hls remote Green River cattle ranch to join us on this hunt Auditor Western, of Nebraska brought with him his son Ralph, to indulge in some general iron. uerism before entering college lie. The writer, following month $ oi close tuggiug at the American A9ricuilurist's columns. was full oi the zest and buoyancy which these far western trips invariably lmpart. Through the peculiar hay atmosphere of the plains, Sheep Mountain looked distant only half hours drive. But it Was twilight before We encamped at its base, and we had travelled about thirty miles. The hind quarters of two Jack Rabbits graced our spit that night, and what with good capacities and a free use of salt aud pepper, our aungry stomachs were readily able to overcome the characterls- tic toughness and tension of these Jacks. We were glad enough to get them before our expedition ended. Before sunrise the next morning We had struck camp and were on the move: and all Gay long we broke the stiffness with frequent discharges of our Win. chesters and Sharp rifles at the distant antelope.
 Just at dusk we drew up at Pinkham ranch, in North Park and were glad enough to avail ourselves of the hospitalities there extended us. Every one slept soundly that night; the couches, rude as they were, being deci. ded improvement over the bare ground ot the night before. At day break we were again under way, and soon our first antelope was brought down. Later on in the day we encountered these creatures in large droves, and ap- parently never having seen a hu- man being, they manifested no lit tie curiosity, frequently waiting until we We're right among them before starting, aud then retreat ing only short distance to stop and observe our movements. We could have shot them as readily then as sheep in a barntOld. A few miles further southward, and we were in the very heart of a game region. Elk, deer, ante lope, wild geese and ducks, sage hens and mountain grouse were seen day alter day, until we were iairly surieited with shooting, and for change devoted ourselves to sightseeing.
 One Saturday afternoon we made the ascent of Helen's noun. tain, in the range forming the cas- tern boundary of North Park, to catch view of the superb sweep bepond. It was long and wea- risOme climb, but the magnificent view stretching far away in every direction richly repaid us. Far below appeared beautiful Estes Park, and stretching far as the eye could reach appeared peak after peak, many of them covered with snow here in July. Nestled be- meath us several hundred feet was miniature lake covered with ice, which did not yield to the stones hurled upon its surface.
 After teasting our vision for some hours we began the descent which was very difficult, inasmuch as falling rain froze as it fell. l took my cartridges from my w'h' chester, fearing lest l might slip and discharge them, When hall way down the mountain, we reach ed a small plateau in the center oi which was d clump of cottonwood trees. Ralph was perhaps three rods ahead, and Foly fifteen paces' turned from the path to this clump oftrees for moment, think ing perhaps l might start Il cinna-
 L,, Jndua my dismay when